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Before you put your home on the market, you should ask a professional home stager or your realtor, “is my house ready for the market and for the home buyers? What steps do I need to take to make my home ready for the prospective buyers?”

If you car is like mine, and I believe most cars are now being made this way, a light pops up letting me know it’s time to be serviced.

I then call my dealer/mechanic to make an appointment for my vehicle.

All homes could use a TUNE UP warning sign too.This automatic warning helps me keep my car in tip-top shape.

Wouldn’t it be great if homes also had a tune up button? This way, we would be informed about what is wearing out and what needs to be repaired or replaced. Most homeowners, since they live in their home day in and day out, get used to all the wear and tear in their house and when the time comes to sell, they are not able to identify all that needs to be done before their house goes on the market.

Yes, it would be wonderful if all homes came with this kind of warning system. But, I have good news for home sellers. A professional home stager can identify all that needs to be done to prepare your home for the market. She/he will create a complete To Do List tailored to the needs of your home.

Below is a general list of steps to get you geared up to tackle the projects in order to get your home ready for the market and the buyers.

Exterior Paint – Take a closer look. Paint if the existing paint is tired or flaking off. Fresh paint is the best facelift for ALL homes.

All appliances, including the garbage disposal, should be running and working well.

Ask your realtor or home stager if it is necessary for you to repair or replace the roof; if old, it may not pass the inspection.

Fireplaces and chimneys should be cleaned.

Keep in mind that this is a general list and a good place to start getting your home ready for the market and home bueyrs. If home sellers take the time and address these projects before their homes go on the market, they will ensure that they get the most money for their homes. Homebuyers will use the inspection list to bargain down the price.

Give your home a proper tune up and make it ready for the homebuyers. The results will SHOUT OUT to the homebuyers that this home is loved and taken care of. Like cars, people want to purchase homes in great condition.

During the recent economic downturn, the condo sect of real estate was hit the hardest. As we all know, buyers were holding back from purchasing and investing, the banks were making it hard to borrow money, and the few buyers that existed wanted homes with yards rather than condos. For most real estate markets in US, this scenario still holds true.

The residents of the Greater Seattle area are fortunate in that the real estate picture is different here. The combination of some good general economic news, low interest rates, and low inventory has turned Seattle real estate into a frenzy. Every single house that we have staged in 2012 has sold within days and some with multiple offers. I hear similar reports from my other local home-staging friends.

However, we didn’t expect that the same would hold true for the hard hit condo market. We staged a beautiful one bedroom condo at Cristalla in January which benefited from gorgeous views and a fabulous location – only a heartbeat away from Pike Place Market and Seattle downtown shopping.

The condo views of the Sound are breathtaking.

This condo went under offer within three days. Later on, I was contacted by the buyer’s agent who asked me to help him with one of his own listings. He said that our flipping the living and dining spaces made all the difference for his client and that is what most influenced his decision to purchase the condo.

I should also mention that there were, and still are, vacant condos with very similar floor plans in Cristalla that are not selling. In fact, one of the listing agents of one these vacant condos contacted my client to inquire about us staging their unit though we have yet to hear from them.

It is true that Seattle real estate is active and that homes are selling. And perhaps the condo market is making a comeback as well. However, what we have noticed is that staged homes and condo units are the ones that are selling as opposed to vacant properties. The vacant unit in Cristalla is still on the market, while we have already destaged our unit and the new home buyers will be moving into their new home soon. So, maybe the actual story is that the Seattle condo market, if staged, has made a comeback.

Home staging is not an option anymore if you truly want to sell your home fast and for more. It is a must. Please visit our 2012 Staged&SOLD page to view our own statistics.

A Cristalla condo staged by Seattle Staged To Sell and was SOLD in days.

We were so ecstatic when we heard that Pentane has nominated Tango Tangerine as the color of 2011. After a few years of depressing news about our economy here in the USA and abroad, we welcomed this cheerful and super energized color.

Therefore, it was clearly obvious that we needed to incorporate this inspiration and so we brought this color into our first 2012 staged home through our accessories and cushions. This lovely Ballard townhouse was instantly energized and the whole team could feel the groove when the project was completed.

Those of us here at Seattle Staged To Sell have found our own version of this bold and energized color. It is called Petal Color 6 by Yolo Paint. It is a happy, fun, bold, modern AND sophisticated orange red. Check it out and see for yourself. What I love about Yolo Paint is that they give each color three complementary colors that you can use as an accent wall or trim. This is also helpful for finding accessories to go with these complentary colors.

You can be sure that this color is coming into my own home. I love to use paint to change the mood of my spaces. Stay tuned for the pictures!